Professor Wu Zongxian's New Book "Criminal Psychology" Published by China Renmin University Press in November 2025

Professor Wu Zongxian, a Level II professor, doctoral supervisor, and Director of the Institute of Crime and Correction at the Faculty of Law and Criminal Legal Science Research Institute of Beijing Normal University, has authored the textbook Criminal Psychology. This book was published by China Renmin University Press in November 2025 as part of the "Modern Criminal Law Series" organized by the Criminal Legal Science Research Institute of Beijing Normal University and the China Criminal Law Society. It is a quarto volume spanning 420 pages with approximately 686,000 words. ISBN: 978-7-300-34260-3.

This book represents the culmination of Professor Wu Zongxian’s over 40 years of study, research, and teaching in criminal psychology. As a member of the Class of 1979 undergraduate program, he first delved into criminal psychology through his bachelor’s thesis titled "Psychology of Negligent Crimes." During his postgraduate studies at the China University of Political Science and Law from 1983–1986, majoring in criminal law, he continued exploring this field. Upon graduation, he joined the university’s criminal psychology teaching and research section, becoming a dedicated scholar and lecturer in criminal psychology. To prepare for teaching, he enrolled in a year-long postgraduate psychology program at the Department of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, starting in September 1986, where he systematically studied multiple psychology courses. After completing this program in July 1987, he spent the following summer drafting lecture materials, beginning to teach while finalizing the remaining sections of his lectures. By January 1992, prior to his departure from the China University of Political Science and Law, he had fully developed and taught a comprehensive criminal psychology curriculum multiple times.

Subsequently, through contributions to works such as the Encyclopedia of China: Psychology (1991), editing the Comprehensive Dictionary of Legal Psychology (1994), authoring A History of Western Criminology (1997, 2nd ed. 2010), participating in the Dictionary of Psychology (2003), editing A Review of Chinese Criminal Psychology Research (2009), translating international works on criminal psychology, academic visits abroad, and extensive research projects, he continually deepened his expertise. Since 2015, teaching graduate courses in criminal psychology at Beijing Normal University’s Criminal Legal Science Research Institute provided renewed opportunities to refine his scholarship, culminating in the 900,000-word monograph Criminal Psychology (2018,商务印书馆), split into two volumes: General Theory and Special Topics. This textbook synthesizes over four decades of academic exploration.

Key Features of the Book:

1. Long-term Accumulation: Built on decades of research and referencing his 2018 works (General Theory and Special Topics), it incorporates new insights and exploratory efforts.

2. Focus on Key Content:

• Theoretical Foundations: Explores mechanisms of criminal psychology formation, behavioral dynamics, and theoretical frameworks.

• Major Crime Types: In-depth analysis of prevalent crimes (e.g., violence, property offenses, sexual crimes).

3. Precision in Terminology: Rigorous attention to accurate, concise definitions and terminology.

4. Interdisciplinary Integration: Harmonizes criminal psychology with related disciplines (e.g., biology, sociology) using their concepts to explain psychological phenomena.

5. Terminology Standardization: Addresses overlapping or conflicting terms by prioritizing primary concepts while noting alternatives (e.g., "also termed," "also translated as") to foster a cohesive conceptual framework.

6. Global Perspectives: Integrates international research (Western, Soviet/Russian) with key terms in English for cross-cultural dialogue.

7. Research Resources: Provides extensive footnotes with English terminology and foreign literature citations to guide further study.

Structure:
The book’s logical organization, emphasis on critical topics, and balanced treatment of Chinese and international research make it suitable as a textbook for law students and a reference for scholars.

Contents:
Chapter 1 Overview of Criminal Psychology
Section 1 Basic Concepts and Disciplinary Characteristics
Section 2 Methodology

Chapter 2 Criminogenic Individual Factors
Section 1 Psychological Factors (Motivational, Personality, Emotional, Cognitive)
Section 2 Biological Factors (Age, Gender, Genetics, Neurophysiology, Biochemistry)
Section 3 Other Factors (Early Experiences, Habits, Lifestyles)

Chapter 3 Criminogenic Environmental Factors
Section 1 Family Influences (Parenting, Family Breakdown, Familial Criminality)
Section 2 Other Environmental Factors (Education, Community, Social Networks, Media, Economy, Law Enforcement, Substance Use, Institutions, Religion, Natural Environment)

Chapter 4 Formation and Manifestation of Criminal Psychology
Section 1 Mechanisms (Genesis, Process, Interaction, Variability)
Section 2 Expressions (Antisociality, Criminality, Mental States, Unconscious Criminal Psychology)
Section 3 Criminal Motivation (Definition, Functions, Formation, Types, Unconscious Aspects)

Chapter 5 Dynamics of Criminal Behavior
Section 1 Mechanisms (Necessity, Motivation, Longitudinal Process)
Section 2 Situational Mechanisms (Elements, Psychological Effects, Person-Environment Interactions)
Section 3 Special Behaviors (Crimes of Passion, Recidivism, Motiveless Crimes)
Section 4 Behavioral Changes (Causes, Patterns)

Chapter 6 Violent Crime Psychology
Section 1 Overview (Definitions, Types, Offender Traits)
Section 2 Murder (Typologies, Serial/Spree/Sexual Homicide)
Section 3 Robbery (Typologies, Behavioral Patterns)
Section 4 Terrorism (Typologies, Psychological Explanations)

Chapter 7 Property Crime Psychology
Section 1 Overview (Definitions, Criminogenic Factors)
Section 2 Theft (Residential Burglary)
Section 3 Fraud (Typologies, Offender/Victim Psychology, Interaction)

Chapter 8 Sexual Crime Psychology
Section 1 Overview (Definitions, Typologies, Offender Traits)
Section 2 Rape (Psychological Explanations, Typologies)

Chapter 9 Abnormal Psychology and Crime
Section 1 Overview (Definitions, Abnormality-Crime Link, Motivations)
Section 2 Personality Disorders (Antisocial, Others)
Section 3 Paraphilias (Pedophilia, Others)
Section 4 Mental Disorders (Schizophrenia, Intellectual Disability, Mood Disorders, PTSD, Organic Brain Syndromes)
Section 5 Other Disorders (Impulse Control, Delusional Disorders)

This translation maintains the original structure, ensures accuracy in academic terminology, and adheres to international publishing standards for clarity and accessibility.